Delicious bakery cookies in NYC...not Levain

[pbjluver]

I know Levain's are the best, but I refuse to pay over $5.00 a cookie.
Need approx. 30 for a gift. OK, call me cheap.

Are there any other deliciously gooey bakery cookies in NYC?

[Sorry can not get to Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island or New Jersey.]

[wano]

Dancing Deer
http://www.dancingdeer.com/

they sell via online or certain stores like Wholefoods (but not always fresh

)

they also sell their stuff via Costco - way fresher

the sugar cane lime is awesome. so is the molasses clove. soft and chewy packed full of flavour and not too sweet. they freeze well too.

[uwsgrazer]

I like DD chocolate orange(?) cookies. Are the sugar cane lime cookies tart? I'll have to keep my eye out for those and the molasses clove variety

[wano]

nope, not tart at all. great balance with the sugar and butter with a hint of lime

[charmedgirl]

Stopped by City Cakes in Chelsea (18th between 7th and 8th) this afternoon on my way home from spin class (I know, I know), and bought a gargantuan sized chocolate spice cookie. VERY delicious. Bittersweet dark chocolate, white chocolate chunks, and just a hint of spice to keep it interesting. It was also my preferred texture for cookies, with crunch on the outside and chew in the middle. Pricey at $3.50, but feels worth it to me considering the size (I'll be eating it for a few days) and how much I like it. They have other flavors too, including a PB, regular chocolate chip, and I think oatmeal? Check it out!

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City Cakes
251 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011

[hungrycomposer]

I just finished a Chickalicious chocolate chip cookie - very good and only $1. It's not huge, so you get a higher crunch to gooey ration, which I like. I've found Birdbath to be a little uneven, and I don't think I've actually had a cookie from Levain (does anyone sell them downtown?)

[mcjays]

I second Jacques Torres but I also like cookies from Milk and Cookies in the W. Village- they have more variety.

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Jacques Torres
285 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

[mahler5]

Here's another vote for Ruby et Violette.

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Ruby et Violette
457 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019

[fm1963]

Silver Moon's chocolate chip cookies are also gooey and delicious, and larger than Levain's.

[rose water]

How about Ruby et Violette? Gooey and delicious, but smaller than Levain's http://www.rubyetviolette.com/indulge...

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Ruby et Violette
457 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019

[Jess321]

I know this is probably not at all helpful to you, but I just wanted to point out that Levain's cookies are (only) $4. They're definitely a splurge for me, and I don't go very often, and yes there are cookies cheaper than that in the city but to me it's a special indulgence. I haven't really experienced anything quite like it-while JT's are gooey and yummy, they're much crispier and thinner. I guess Levain's are more for those who enjoy eating raw cookie dough, versus those who like the harder, flatter cookies.

[daffyduck]

Spot makes good cookies, I think it's half off an hour before closing too.

[Miss Needle]

The gooiest chocolate chip cookies I've found are at Culture on 38th Street. I forgot how much they are, but certainly less than $5 a pop -- but smaller than Levain as well. It's kind of a tossup between Culture and Roasting Plant as my favorite. But if you want gooey, I would go with Culture.

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Roasting Plant
81 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

[daffyduck]

I just tried Roasting Plant yesterday, it's a good cookie but I like Levain much more. The Roasting Plant's cookie is thin and crisp but much more of a cookie than Levain is. Levain is more of it's own large gooey beast of awesomeness. IMO it's worth the $5+ dollars for that wow bite especially when you get to the middle of that chocolate explosion. BTW for those who think it's too raw in the middle you can ask them to heat it up for you longer before you get it so it cooks through a little more.

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Roasting Plant
81 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

[Miss Needle]

Oh yeah, defintiely Levain's the more gooier one from the two. So if you're a fan of gooey, Levain is the way to go. Roasting Plant is more crispy-chewy with more brown sugar notes. And Levain has much more of a cakey texture. I find they're completely different cookie experiences. I do adore Levain, but sometimes I find it to be just way too large! I know, I know. Don't have to eat the entire thing. But it's kinda hard sometimes because it tastes so good! : )

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Roasting Plant
81 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

[kathryn]

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie In New York City
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/0...

I know that Jack's Stir Brew and Chikalicious both have theirs for $1 each.

[busybee23]

The cookies at Birdbath are pretty good, but IMO where they shine is their coconut macadamia nut cookie. And I don't usually like coconut.

The chocolate chunk cookies from Big Booty Bread Company are very very good, iirc they're about $2.50? a cookie. Larger cookies, about the size of Birdbath's, and similarly priced. I think I'd rate their chocolate chip higher than Birdbath's chocolate chip (but not higher than the coconut!)

For smaller sized cookies I actually had a decent and semi-gooey chocolate chip cookie @ Magnolia's recently. I was surprised, I didn't expect I'd like it.

[Desidero]

Birdbath Bakery, which has various outposts around the city -- they recently opened branches in the New Museum and TriBeCa -- sells gift boxes of smaller (oreo-sized) gooey chocolate-chip cookies for what I recall is about $1/cookie.

[Blumie]

Another option is City Bakery -- which is the same folks as Birdbath.

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City Bakery
3 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011

[uwsgrazer]

I really like Petrossian's oatmeal raisin cookies. (I'm pretty sure they have raisins.) The double chocolate chip cookies (or whatever they're called) are also good. They're also higher on the "gooey" scale. I haven't tried their chocolate chip cookies but I would think they're pretty decent. I think all the cookies are $3 a piece. I recently discovered Fairway's chocolate chip cookies and almond cookies. These are incredibly good value at $1.49 per package (two chocolate chip cookies per package and one almond per package). I think they also sell something resembling a Linzer cookie variety (shortbread-type cookie with fruit filling in the center, maybe). All the cookies are wrapped in cellophane and are on the upper-shelf of that muffin case to the right of the bread counter. I really liked both varieties of cookies I tried. The chocolate chip was I guess more crispy than cakey, but not excessively so. The almond had a yummy marzipan-like filling. I could see how it might be a bit too sweet for some, though I don't think it was excessive. Not sure they rate as gooey (almond one definitely doesn't) but they're large and tasty.

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Petrossian
182 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019

[dietndesire]

Levain's are not the best. However, not sure what high quality versions have the same gooeyness/size that you seem to require. In UWS there is J Torres, they might give you a fresh batch if you tell them you are ordering 30. Maybe even a discount? Well, that might be asking for too much.
Obviously, the cookies are not exactly the same style.

[daffyduck]

really?? who do you think is best? I think Levain is a lot better than J Torres especially if the OP wants a gooey bakery cookie. Jacque Torres is a lot more crisp than gooey.